More direct flights to Phuket

PHUKET: The island’s tourism industry received a shot in the arm this week with the announcement by one of Denmark’s largest travel agencies that it will add two additional direct charter flights to Phuket weekly, starting in November, because current flights are already fully booked.

Krabi received good news as well, with Singapore-based low-cost carrier Tiger Airways announcing that it will raise the number of flights on its Singapore-Krabi route from four to six a week, starting in August. On July 1, the carrier increased its number of weekly flights from Singapore to Phuket to nine.

Scandasia magazine reported that, on November 14, Danish travel agency Tjæreborg Rejser will introduce two direct flights to Phuket from Aalborg, Denmark’s fourth largest city.

The two flights will be an addition to the agency’s existing connections to Phuket from Billund, which is home to the country’s second busiest airport. The company also reported strong advance bookings from Copenhagen.

“Phuket already looks to be the most popular travel destination for Danes in the upcoming winter season,” the report read.

“With the pace at which these trips to Thailand are being sold, we can already now say that our [plan] to fly … out of Aalborg to Phuket is a success,” Tjæreborg Rejser Sales Director Kjeld Gadegård was quoted as saying.

The company will use the Airbus A330 aircraft operated by MyTravel Airways on the new charter flights.

Meanwhile, Tiger Airways will add two additional flights to its Singapore-Krabi route with effect from August 14. In addition, the low-cost carrier has launched a promotion on its flights to Bangkok, Haad Yai as well as Krabi, with one-way fares starting at about 800 baht.

The new flights will give Tiger Airways 41 direct flights weekly between Singapore and Thailand, the airline’s largest market.